Romance Solution

Tuesday morning.

With a rattle, I opened the back door of the classroom and stepped inside.

The moment I checked my seat, there she was again—Han Yeoreum, already sitting and waiting as always.

But today her whole vibe felt off.

It had always been a little off, yet today it was worse. Her hands were demurely folded on her knees, but her shoulders were trembling.

Why is she like that again?

I walked over and pulled out my chair.

She flinched hard. Her shoulders jumped almost five centimeters straight up.

"Morning."

I offered the greeting the same way I always did.

"Ah, m-morn...! Morning...!"

What is this. It looked exactly like the version of her I'd seen a few days ago. She had regressed so hard into stranger-anxiety that I almost wondered whether this was really the same girl who'd chatted with me on messenger yesterday.

I had no idea why. Had I done something wrong again?

I tilted my head, puzzled, and sat down. Yeoreum fidgeted, then fished something out from under the desk and carefully slid it across toward my side.

A small, neat paper bag tied with a ribbon.

"Huh? What's this?"

"Th-that...!"

Yeoreum's lips quivered as she mumbled.

"Uh, yesterday... thank you for answering my texts... I bought them from my favorite egg-tart place... for you..."

"Egg tarts?"

I peeked inside the bag. Two perfectly golden egg tarts sat nestled next to a folded yellow sticky note.

I unfolded the note.

A carefully written little letter in round, soft handwriting.

"············."

Whoa.

That hit pretty hard. Dropping a critical strike straight to the heart first thing in the morning?

The tiny, adorable squirrel doodled at the edge of the sticky note made a corner of my chest itch in the best way.

I glanced sideways. Yeoreum had completely buried her face in both hands. Between her fingers I could see the tips of her ears glowing bright red.

I had to return the favor properly. Stuff like this worked best when you reacted without making it awkward.

"Thanks. I'll enjoy them."

Rustle.

I took out one egg tart and bit into it. The shell was crisp; soft egg cream filled my mouth.

"Whoa, these are seriously good. You've got great taste."

At my honest praise, Yeoreum parted her fingers just enough to peek out with one eye.

"R-really...? I'm glad..."

She lowered her hands and looked at me with a shy little smile.

And then—

"Oh my, oh my~ Already so lovey-dovey first thing in the morning?"

The classroom door rattled open and in walked the school's resident social butterfly, Seo Nari.

She spotted us, eyes going round, and hurried over.

"Wait, Yeoreum? Isn't that the famous egg-tart place people line up for even on weekdays? And you're giving them to Taekyeong?"

"N-Nariiiiii!!"

Yeoreum yelped in pure panic.

"Oh my, it really is! Now I'm starting to feel a little left out~"

Nari giggled and rubbed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her cheek against Yeoreum's.

"I-it's not like that! I just wanted to say thank you! And I got some for you too, Nari!"

Yeoreum's face looked ready to explode as she lightly smacked Nari's arm over and over. Nari just laughed harder, clearly finding her best friend way too cute to handle.

I popped the remaining egg tart into my mouth with a grin, then carefully folded Yeoreum's sticky note and tucked it deep into my pencil case.

Something told me today was going to be a really good day.

Lunchtime.

Ding-dong-ding-dong.

The moment the end-of-class bell rang, I started packing up for the cafeteria. If I remembered right, today's menu was supposed to be good.

And Kim Jinhyeok—that guy better be coming with me today.

Right then—

Bang!

The front door of the classroom flew open.

"Taekyeong-aaaaaahhhh!!!"

Why is he like this all of a sudden?

Kim Jinhyeok burst in looking like his soul had left his body. He slid across the classroom floor like he was skating and performed a perfect dive-slide straight under my desk.

"Whoa, are you insane?"

I yanked my legs out of the way on pure reflex.

"Taekyeong! Save me!! Please!!"

Jinhyeok clutched the hem of my pants and wailed.

"Can we eat first?"

"I'm screwed! Completely, totally screwed!!"

He completely ignored me and barreled straight into his story.

It had happened ten minutes earlier.

A text from Ji-eun noona had arrived—the devil's own open-ended question:

And the reply Kim Jinhyeok had sent back:

"············."

"············."

Han Yeoreum, sitting right beside me, and Seo Nari, who had been walking past, both froze with identical looks of pure secondhand horror.

I quietly patted Jinhyeok's shoulder.

"Jinhyeok."

"Yeah?!"

"You write your will yet?"

"You little—! I'm actually in crisis mode right now!!"

He yelled, looking deeply wronged.

"I meant it as a compliment! Her cheeks looked all soft and chubby and cute, so I said that, but noona left me on read and still hasn't answered!!"

"Of course she hasn't, you idiot. Who tells a girl she looks puffy? Are you out of your mind?"

While I stared at him in disbelief, Seo Nari clutched her stomach and burst out laughing.

"Ahahahaha! You two are way too much!"

"S-Seo Nari?! Help me too! I'm seriously about to get dumped!"

Jinhyeok stretched a desperate hand toward her like a drowning man grabbing at straws.

Nari propped her chin on her hand and started doling out advice.

"Hmm, write a long apology right now and grovel with something like, 'You looked so cute today I accidentally said something stupid, you're the prettiest person in the world,' and maybe you'll survive? Or you get dumped starting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠today."

"Aaaaargh! Apology! Writing the apology!!"

Jinhyeok frantically pulled out his phone and started hammering the keyboard.

I watched the pathetic display and added my own two cents.

"Just do full formal prostration. Drop to your knees and do the full dogeza. Want me to film it? Slide in while you're at it and throw in a grand bow—she'll forgive you instantly."

"Oh, that might actually work!"

Nari chimed in from the side.

That was when it happened.

"Um, e-excuse me..."

A small, delicate voice floated up.

Every pair of eyes turned toward the seat next to mine—toward Han Yeoreum.

She flinched.

The sudden spotlight must have triggered her alarm, because Yeoreum's shoulders locked up solid. Especially when Kim Jinhyeok—a high-school guy she had never met—turned sparkling eyes her way, she started trembling all over again.

I casually leaned forward, blocking Jinhyeok's view of her.

"Jinhyeok. Eyes down. You're scaring her."

"Ah, sorry, sorry! I was just in a huge rush!"

He quickly lowered his head.

Behind the human shield of my body, Yeoreum let out a tiny breath of relief. Then she fidgeted with both hands and carefully opened her mouth again.

"W-well... an apology message is good, but..."

"Oh? You've got another idea? What is it, what is it?"

Nari asked brightly.

Yeoreum's face was pink as she spoke, voice soft and careful.

"G-girls like it more when you show it with actions instead of just apologizing over text..."

"Actions?!"

Jinhyeok latched on instantly.

"Y-yeah... Time it for when she finishes class... buy the dessert or drink she likes most and wait for her at the front ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gate..."

Yeoreum twisted her fingers together and added quietly,

"And the second you see her, admit you were wrong... and give her a big hug while you say you're sorry... Her heart won't be able to stay mad..."

"············."

That Han Yeoreum was giving advice this detailed?

It was a surprisingly concrete solution.

Nari clapped her hands together.

"Ahaha, I second that. Showing up at the gate with dessert? Instant heart-melt material."

Jinhyeok's eyes lit up like twin spotlights.

"Ooooooh!! Saintess!! Goddess of romance!!"

He tried to throw himself toward Yeoreum in pure gratitude. I gave his chair a light kick with my foot.

"Hey. Don't cross the line, Kim Jinhyeok."

"Oof! Sorry! A-anyway, your name's Han Yeoreum, right? Thank you so much!! I'm looking up dessert cafés near noona's school right this second!!"

Jinhyeok happily started tapping at his phone.

Realizing her advice had actually landed, Yeoreum looked quietly proud and gave a tiny smile. She tugged lightly on my sleeve and whispered right by my ear.

"I-I think I helped a little..."

"Yeah. Look how happy Jinhyeok is. By the way, how do you know all that so specifically?"

"Th-that's... a secret."

At my praise she ducked her head with a bashful little grin. Just like when she had handed over the egg tarts that morning, her cheeks flushed a soft, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠happy pink.

"Hey, Kim Jinhyeok. You've got your solution now, so can we go eat? Today's menu is pork cutlet, apparently."

"Okay! Let's all go eat together! Dessert's on me today!"

"Oh? If you're treating, no complaints here~"

Nari cheerfully agreed, and Yeoreum gave a small nod beside her.

And so, a little while later, we were all sitting in the cafeteria demolishing pork cutlets when—

"Dude, what do I do? I left my wallet."

"You little—"

It was a noisy, chaotic lunch break.

But watching Han Yeoreum smile shyly while she carefully chewed her pork cutlet, I found myself thinking it wasn't half bad at all.